Machine for slicing pickles and the like.



S. G. LIPSGOMB. MACHINE FOR SLIGING-PIGKLES AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1912.

1,072,628. Patented Sept. 9,1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses by W Attorneys COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH $0., WAsNXNmN. lLc.

S. G. LIPSOOMB.

MACHINE FOB smcme PIGKLES AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR 24, 1912.

1,072,628. v Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses I lm lento r Atto rneys S. G. LIPSGOMB.

MACHINE FOR SLIOING PIGKLES AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1912.

1,072,628. Patented Sept.9,1913.

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S. G. LIPSGOMB. MACHINE FOR sucme PIGKLES AND THE LIKE. APPLIOATION FILED APR 24, 1912.

1,072,628. r Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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S. G. LIPSGOMB. MACHINE. FOR SLIGING PIGKLES AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Inventor Attorneys COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH (TL-WASHINGTON. D- c UNTTED STATES I PATENT @FFTCE. SYLVESTER G. LIPSCOMB, OF LOUISVILLEKELTTUCKY, ASSIGN OR 0F ONE-HALF TO JACOB IVI. JONES, OF ELIZABETHTOWN, KENTUCKY.

MACHINE FOR SLICING PICKLES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 24, 1912.

Serial No. 692,977.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYLVESTER G. LIrs- COMB, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Machine for Slicing Pickles and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for slicing pickles and the like, its object being to provide a simple and compact structure of this character having means whereby a pickle may be cut into-two or more parts.

A further object is to provide means whereby the pickles may be fed automatically to the cutting members without danger of becoming displaced relative thereto.

A further object is to provide means whereby the pickles are caused to move end first through the machine, said machine being adjustable automatically so as to hold pickles of different sizes.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and n the details OfOOIlStI'UCtlOIl hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that in the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 isa side elevation of the machine portions of the legs and of the feed hopper being broken away. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a plan View, the feed hopper being shown in section. Fig. i is a section on line A-.B Fig. l. OD Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section through one side of the'top of the frame of the machine and through the bearings thereon. Fig. 7 is a section on line E-F Fig. .6. Fig. 8 is a perspective View of one of the idlers and its spring. Fig. 9 is a central section through one of the knives and its side blocks, the parts being shown detached. Fig. 10 is a section on line GH Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the top of the main frame of the machine. Fig. 12 is an enlarged section on line IJ Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a section on line K-L Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of Fig. 5 is a section on line,

reference, 1 designates the top of the main frame or casting, the same being supported by legs 2 and being preferably formed with its ends and sides angular in cross section,

as shown particularly in Fig. 12. Formed are interposed between the outer ends of the blocks 6 and the end walls 9 ofthe channels 5, these springs 8 serving to yield readily when the blocks 6 are moved apart in the manner hereinafter set forth. As shown in Fig. 7, each block 6 has a dove tail por-' tion l0and this portion projects into the channel 5 and engages the walls thereof so that the blocks cannotbecome accidentally displaced. Parallel shafts 11 are j ournaled in the blocks 6 and grooved wheels 12 are arranged in pairs on these shafts, the wheels on one shaft being directly. opposite the wheels on the other shaft. Endless chains 13 are mounted on these wheels and extend Patented Sept. 9,1913.

downwardly therefrom to sprockets 14 secured to shafts '15 and, 16 which, as shown particularly in Fig. 5, are journaled 011 cross strips 17 supported by the legs 2 and below the main frame 1. These sprockets 14 are wheels 12 and each of the shafts 15 and 16 has a gear 18 secured to one end thereof, the two gears meshing so that the shafts rotate .in opposite directions and those runs'of the chains nearest the center of the machine will all move downwardly.

A sprocket 19is preferably secured to one end of the shaft 16 and receives motion,

I through a chain 20 from another sprocket 21 secured to amain drive shaft This shaft is journaled in bearing blocks 23 mounted on the main frame 1. A drive pulley 24: is connected to one end of the shaft 22 while the other end of said shaft has a gear 25 secured thereto and meshing with a gear 26 secured to one end of a shaft 27 Said shaft 27 is journaled. in bearing blocks 28 mounted on the main frame 1.

These bearing blocks 28 as well as the 90 disposed in the same relation as are the i r blocks 23 are preferably fastened adjustably to the, main frame by means of bolts 29 ex tending into slots 30 formed in the sides of the main frame, as shown in Fig. 11.

Shaft 22 is provided at intermediate points, with bevel gears 31 and 32 meshing, respectively, with gears 33 and 34 secured to shafts 35 and 36. These shafts are ournaled in bearing blocks 37 which are adjustably connected to the angular extensions 2* by means of bolts 38 projecting into slots 39 formed in said extensions, as shown in Fig. 11.- Thus it will be seen that either of the shafts 35 and 36 can be readily adjusted laterally so as to shift its gear 33 or 34 out of mesh with the corresponding gear on the shaft 22. In this manner either or both of the shafts 35 and 36 can be disconnected from its driving mechanism so as not to formed in two alining sections having disklike heads 40at their near or adj oining ends,

these heads being aclaptedto clamp upon opposed faces of a cutting disk 41 having a sharp periphery, as indicated at 42. Openings 43 may be formed in the disk for the reception of fastening means extending through one of the heads 40 and into engagement with the other head so asto thus bind the heads upon the disk and secure the two shaft sections together. Notonly can shaft 27 be constructed in this manner but each of the shafts 22, 35 and 36 can be similarly constructed, any case each of these four shafts 22, 27, 35 and 36 isprovided with a cutting disk 41, said disks being disposed in'planes at right angles to each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 and having their peripheries close together.

Each ofthe standards 3 has a bracket 44 extending inwardly therefrom and pivotally connected to and extending downwardly from .each bracket is a, strip 45. having an idler 46 jonrnal'ed atitslower end. A spring strip 47 is also'secured to each standard 3 and has one end preferably forked, as shown at 43,. soasto straddle and engage the adjacent strip 45. These springs serve to hold the idlers 46 normally pressed toward each other and as the idlers engage the innermost or active runs of the chains 13, it will be apparent that said chains will thus be held taut although capable of yielding outwardly under the spreading action of an article fed between them.

Suitably supported directly above the passes between the wheels 12 and the inner runs of the chains 13, is a substantially frusto-conical hopper 49 into which a con veyer belt 50 discharges. This belt is supported by rollers 51 secured to shafts 52 which, in turn, are journaled in a frame 53 extending from the lower or discharge end of a main hopper 54. The upper or active run of the conveyer belt 50 extends along the bottom of the hopper 54 and through an outlet opening in one wall thereof, said run also traveling over the bottom 55 of a trough 56 which extends from the outlet of the main hopper 54 and discharges into the other hopper 49. The walls of the trough 56 converge toward the discharge end of the trough, as shown particularly in Fig. 3, portions of these walls overhanging the sides of the upper run of belt 50, as shown in Fig. 13. Deflecting pins 57 extend from the inner faces of the sides of the trough 56 and coiiverge' toward the discharge end of the trough, these pinsbeing disposed in staggered relation as shown in Fig. 3. Spring extensions 58 project from the walls of the trough at the discharge end thereof and project over the hopper 49, these spring extensions normally converging toward their free ends. One of the shafts 52 of the conveyer belt 50 has a sprocket 59 securedthereto and adapted to receive motion, through a chain 60 from a sprocket 61 secured to the main shaft 22.

When it is desired to out pickles longitudinally into four slices approximately equal, the bearing blocks 37 are adjusted longitudinally so as to bring the gears 33 and 34 into mesh with gears 31 and 32 respectively. At the same time the blades 41 on the shafts 35 and 36 will be brought close together and at opposite sides of the adjoining parts of the other two cutting disks 41. The machine is then set in motion and the pickles to be out are placed in the hopper 54. The'upp'er run of the belt 50 conveys pickles through the outlet of the hopper. and longitudinally within the trough 56; The pins 57 are engaged by the pickles and serve to hold said pickles back so that they can pass only one at a time, through the trough. Each pickle, as it leaves the trough, passes between the light'spring extensions 58 andthese extensions serve to center the pickle within the hopper 49 so that, when itdrops thereinto, it will fall end first into the reduced outlet opening of the hopper.

49. As the pickle falls through'the said outlet opening it drops end first into the pass between the innermost runs of the chains 13 and is engaged by said chains. If the pickle is larger than the space between the chains, it will exert a Wedging action between the Wheels 12- and cause the springs 8 to yield sufficiently to permit the pickle to pass between the wheels 12. The innermost runs of the chains 13 then engage the article to be cut and convey it downwardly to the rotating circular knives 41. These knives will cut into the article as it is moved longitudinally past them by the chains and will sever it into four substantially equal drop into a delivery trough 62 supported under the lower portions of the chains 13. It will be seen that the idlers 46 are located between the cutting disks or blades and thus engage the article while it is being cut and hold it firmly so as to prevent tearing or twisting.

Importance is attached to the fact that the upper wheels 12 are shiftable from each other and it thus becomes possible for the innermost runs of the chains 13 to adjust themselves automatically to articles of dif-' ferent sizes.

\Vhile the machine is particularly designed for cutting pickles, it is to be understood that it can be used equally as well for cutting other products, such as potatoes, apples, etc. I

As heretofore stated either or both of the shafts and 36 can be shifted so as to move their gears out of mesh with the gears 31 and 32 on shaft 22. This movement will also be sufficient to carry the bladesgtl on shafts 35 and 36 out of the path of the article being cut. Thus it will be seen that instead of cutting the article into four pieces,

it can be cut into two or three pieces as desired.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for What is claimed is 1. A machine for'slicing elongated articles, including cutting members mounted to rotate in intersecting planes, and longitudinally extended conveying means extending between and past the cutting members and adapted to engage articles longitudinally thereof while being fed past the cutting members. I i

' 2. A machine'for slicing elongated articles, including revoluble cutting members, and longitudinally extended conveying belts facing toward and on opposite sides of'the revoluble cutting members for engaging an article longitudinally thereof while being cut.

3. A machine for slicing elongated articles, including diverging revoluble cutting members, and a plurality of endless conveyingbelts between the sides of the cutting members and facing said members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' SYLVESTER Gr. LIPSCOMB.

Witnesses:

DUDLEY O. Jonns, I. R. MAYNARD.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

